The Holy Roman Empire was an empire that lasted until 1806. It consisted mainly of modern day Germany(except southern Schleswig), Austria( except Bugenland),
the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Liechenstein,the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia(except Prekmjure),significant parts of eastern France, northen Italy, and western Poland. They had a building for Parliament called Reichstag. Also before the Emperor can be chosen, one has to be elected " King of the Romans".
Reichstag-The legislative body of the Holy Roman Empire and theoretically, superior to the Emperor.
It was divided into 3 classes:
1.) Council of Electors- A group of nobles who have the power to veto the Holy Roman Emperor. Originally,
one would have to be crowned by the Pope, until Charles V in the Habsburg dynasty, then only the council named the Emperor
2.) Council of Princes- A group of other nobles
3.) Council of Imperial Cities- A group of nobles who permit new cities
in the Empire's boundaries.
All of these classes were made up of top graduates from certain legislative schools.
Reichstag also had 2 supreme courts:
1.) Aulic Council(Reichshofrat<h>)- Originally an executive- judicial council for the Holy Roman Empire.
It had jurisdiction(or the right and power to interpret or apply the law) with the latter court, many of their cases were exclusive jurisdiction,all feudal
processes, and criminal affairs. It consisted of a president, a vice-president, a vice-chancellor,
and 18 councilors. All were chosen and paid by the Holy Roman Emperor, except for the vice-
chancellor who was chosen by the Elector of Mainz. When the Emperor died or went out of power,
all of these people were "fired" and the new ones were chosen by his successor.
The Holy Roman Empire's national symbol
2.)Imperial Court Chamber
(Reichskammergericht)- All legal proceedings in the Holy Roman Empire could be brought to the Imperial Chamber Court,
except if the ruler of the territory had a "privilegium de non appellando(privilege of, having the right to,not be appealed)" in which
case the highest judicial institution was found by the ruler of the territory.Another exception was criminal law. The Imperial Chamber Council
could only intervene if basic procedural rules were violated. The Imperial Chamber Council was infamous for the long time it took to reach a
judgement. Some proceedings, espescially in lawsuits between territories belonging to the Holy Roman Empire, took several hundred years.
Yet lately, it has been discovered that this could be attributed to a loss of interest of the parties involved, and the court could sometimes
be much more eficient than previously thought. Sometimes the court even ordered injunctions within a few days. Membership of the court was determined by both the emperor and the component states of the Empire. The Emperor named the chief justice (which was always a high aristocrat), several presidents of the court senates, and members of the court. A majority were selected by estates of the Empire.
Originally, half of the judges were knights of the Empire, and the other half , doctors of Roman law, but after 1548, all judges had to be doctors of law.
In 1568 and then 1618, two of the most catastrophic and dangerous conflicts in European history began and both of them didn't end until 1648 where the Treaty of Westphalia was established ending the Thirty(1618-1648, In the Holy Roman Empire) and Eighty(1568-1648, between Spain, France, Sweden, and the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands)Years' War.
The Treaty of Westphalia- This important treaty stopped, as I mentioned earlier, two examples of relentless fighting and suffering. It was combined of Osnabruck and Munster. It involved the current Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand III(from the house of Habsburg), the kingdoms of
Spain, France, Sweden, the Dutch Republic and their allies, the Princes of the Holy Roman Empire and sovereigns of Free Imperial Cities.
The treaties resulted from the first modern diplomatic congress, thereby initiating a new political order in central Europe, based upon the concept of a sovereign state governed by a sovereign. In the event the treaties' regulations became integral to the constitutional law of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Thirty Years' War-This excruciating civil-war was fought within the modern day boundaries of Germany, and at other various times, other countries in Europe. Naval warfare reached overseas and shaped the colonial formation of future nations. The origins of the conflict and the goals of the participants were complex and no single cause can accurately be described as the main reason for the fighting. Initially the war was fought largely as a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire, although, disputes over the internal politics and the balance of power within the Empire played a significant part as well. Gradually the war developed into a more general conflict involving most of the European powers. In this general phase, the war became more of a continuation of the Bourbon-Habsburg rivalry for European political pre-eminence, and in turn, led to further warfare between France and Habsburg powers and less specifically about religion.
The Eighty Years' War- This epic war was also called the Dutch War of Independence. It began a revolt against Philip II, the overlord of the Habsburg Netherlands. The war ended with the Peace Treaty of Westphalia. The revolt led to partly succeeded with succession of seven provinces which formed the Dutch Republic. Much later, the "rebels" of Flanders and Brabant became modern-day Belgium (with the exception of Brabant).
by Bradley Goss
The Holy Roman Empire was an empire that lasted until 1806. It consisted mainly of modern day Germany(except southern Schleswig), Austria( except Bugenland),
the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Liechenstein,the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia(except Prekmjure),significant parts of eastern France, northen Italy, and western Poland. They had a building for Parliament called Reichstag. Also before the Emperor can be chosen, one has to be elected " King of the Romans".
Reichstag- The legislative body of the Holy Roman Empire and theoretically, superior to the Emperor.
It was divided into 3 classes:
1.) Council of Electors- A group of nobles who have the power to veto the Holy Roman Emperor. Originally,
one would have to be crowned by the Pope, until Charles V in the Habsburg dynasty, then only the council named the Emperor
2.) Council of Princes- A group of other nobles
3.) Council of Imperial Cities- A group of nobles who permit new cities
in the Empire's boundaries.
All of these classes were made up of top graduates from certain legislative schools.
Reichstag also had 2 supreme courts:
1.) Aulic Council(Reichshofrat<h>)- Originally an executive- judicial council for the Holy Roman Empire.
It had jurisdiction(or the right and power to interpret or apply the law) with the latter court, many of their cases were exclusive jurisdiction,all feudal
processes, and criminal affairs. It consisted of a president, a vice-president, a vice-chancellor,
and 18 councilors. All were chosen and paid by the Holy Roman Emperor, except for the vice-
chancellor who was chosen by the Elector of Mainz. When the Emperor died or went out of power,
all of these people were "fired" and the new ones were chosen by his successor.
2.)Imperial Court Chamber
(Reichskammergericht)- All legal proceedings in the Holy Roman Empire could be brought to the Imperial Chamber Court,
except if the ruler of the territory had a "privilegium de non appellando(privilege of, having the right to,not be appealed)" in which
case the highest judicial institution was found by the ruler of the territory.Another exception was criminal law. The Imperial Chamber Council
could only intervene if basic procedural rules were violated. The Imperial Chamber Council was infamous for the long time it took to reach a
judgement. Some proceedings, espescially in lawsuits between territories belonging to the Holy Roman Empire, took several hundred years.
Yet lately, it has been discovered that this could be attributed to a loss of interest of the parties involved, and the court could sometimes
be much more eficient than previously thought. Sometimes the court even ordered injunctions within a few days. Membership of the court was determined by both the emperor and the component states of the Empire. The Emperor named the chief justice (which was always a high aristocrat), several presidents of the court senates, and members of the court. A majority were selected by estates of the Empire.
Originally, half of the judges were knights of the Empire, and the other half , doctors of Roman law, but after 1548, all judges had to be doctors of law.
In 1568 and then 1618, two of the most catastrophic and dangerous conflicts in European history began and both of them didn't end until 1648 where the Treaty of Westphalia was established ending the Thirty(1618-1648, In the Holy Roman Empire) and Eighty(1568-1648, between Spain, France, Sweden, and the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands)Years' War.
The Treaty of Westphalia- This important treaty stopped, as I mentioned earlier, two examples of relentless fighting and suffering. It was combined of Osnabruck and Munster. It involved the current Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand III(from the house of Habsburg), the kingdoms of
Spain, France, Sweden, the Dutch Republic and their allies, the Princes of the Holy Roman Empire and sovereigns of Free Imperial Cities.
The treaties resulted from the first modern diplomatic congress, thereby initiating a new political order in central Europe, based upon the concept of a sovereign state governed by a sovereign. In the event the treaties' regulations became integral to the constitutional law of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Thirty Years' War- This excruciating civil-war was fought within the modern day boundaries of Germany, and at other various times, other countries in Europe. Naval warfare reached overseas and shaped the colonial formation of future nations. The origins of the conflict and the goals of the participants were complex and no single cause can accurately be described as the main reason for the fighting. Initially the war was fought largely as a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire, although, disputes over the internal politics and the balance of power within the Empire played a significant part as well. Gradually the war developed into a more general conflict involving most of the European powers. In this general phase, the war became more of a continuation of the Bourbon-Habsburg rivalry for European political pre-eminence, and in turn, led to further warfare between France and Habsburg powers and less specifically about religion.
The Eighty Years' War- This epic war was also called the Dutch War of Independence. It began a revolt against Philip II, the overlord of the Habsburg Netherlands. The war ended with the Peace Treaty of Westphalia. The revolt led to partly succeeded with succession of seven provinces which formed the Dutch Republic. Much later, the "rebels" of Flanders and Brabant became modern-day Belgium (with the exception of Brabant).
Back to Renaissance-Holy Roman Empire
Sources:
1.)http://www.google.com
2.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire
3.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire#Reichstag
4.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_(institution)
5.)http:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aulic_Council
6.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Chamber_Court
7.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_of_Westphalia
8.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Years%27_War
9.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighty_Years%27_War
10.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince-elector
11.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_(institution)#The_Reichstag_in_the_Holy_Roman_Empire
12.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince-elector#Elections
13.)http://www.ask.com